Padres cut prices for beer, food and parking

“The first priority is to build a winning team,” Garfinkel said yesterday. “The key message we want to send is the money we have will be spent to improve the team.”

Thus far this winter, the Padres have been relatively quiet on the personnel front.

Behind the scenes, however, Garfinkel’s staff has been working to improve the lines of communications with Padres fans and rebuild a fan base that saw season ticket renewals drop by an alarming 44 percent between the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Even though the Padres’ late-season surge produced a 12-game improvement over 2008, the Padres’ attendance tumbled 20.8 percent last year — the second-largest percentage decline in the National League.

And the Padres’ average attendance of 23,736 was the fifth-lowest in the league. The Padres failed to draw two million spectators for the first time since 1995. Plus, the smallest 20 crowds in Petco Park history all came during the 2009 history.

Against the backdrop of these statistics, the Padres have started reversing some disturbing trends.

Season ticket renewals this past week moved past the 80 percent figure and the club has sold approximately 500 new season tickets (compared to only 224 new purchases for all of last offseason).

Garfinkel, meantime, has been meeting with season ticket holders and focus groups in an effort to improve the relationship between the Padres and their fans.

“Again, the bottom line is the product on the field and winning,” Garfinkel said. “But there are other things we can do.

“We’ve gone out and personally contacted fans and asked them what they think. We’ve heard some consistent themes and we’re reacting to them. We have a lot of ideas to enhance the fan experience. And there’s a lot we can do in 2010 while we will still face some restrictions.”

Having already adjusted the price and classification of many seats for the 2010 season, the Padres will reduce the price of parking and cost of some core concessions. Times for midweek (3:35 p.m.) and Saturday (5:35 p.m.) home games have been changed.

“We want to create affordability,” Garfinkel said. “That’s been reflected in things we’ve done and are still looking at. We’ll have T-shirts for $7-8 and tickets starting at $5.

“We’re listening and acting.”

“They’re doing more than listening,” said season ticker holder Brian Hammond. “I feel they are considering outside ideas and trying to put a better face on the product, trying to make a difference.”

“I sense a complete change with this management team,” said Coronado’s Ben Hallowell, who is a member of the Navy Old Goats organization that holds a pair of season tickets that benefit the Wounded Warriors Association.

“At the end of the (John) Moores regime, they were difficult to deal with. It seems like this team is at least looking for ways to reach out to the fans.”

The cost of parking and concessions were two of the “consistent themes” Garfinkel said he has heard in his discussion with fans. And the Padres are reacting.

“When we reached out to our fans and asked what they felt, they were clear,” Garfinkel said. “Parking is too expensive.”

Garfinkel yesterday announced parking costs would be cut next season at the three lots controlled by the Padres — falling from $20 to $15 on day of game purchases and from $18 to $10 for season ticket holders.

And although Garfinkel said 2010 prices have yet to be set for concessions, he said the costs for core items, including beer, will be reduced.

Garfinkel thinks the final season ticket sales for 2010 could top last year — a critical fact for the Padres. The financial hit from last year’s drop in season ticket sales topped $20 million.

“In this economy, any gain would be very good,” said the club president. “Fans do see a promising team. That has helped. And it’s become clear to me that Padre fans are loyal.”

One group that Garfinkel’s team is targeting is season ticket holders.

The Padres are planning to have a special entrance at Petco Park that will allow season ticket holders enter the ballpark early for the Padres batting practice.

“Much of what we’re doing has been generated by the fans,” said Garfinkel. “The impetus for reducing parking and opening the gates earlier for season ticket holders were ideas generated by questions from the fans.”